Daily Times

KARACHI: Sindh’s Culture Minister Syed Sardar Shah has refused to give joining to the newly posted director general (DG) Culture.

Sindh Chief Secretary Muhammad Siddique Memon posted Manzoor A Kanasro a BS-20 officer as DG Culture on September 5, 2016, but it has been learnt that the powerful minister is against the officer’s joining.

“The minister either wants to bring his own blue-eyed officer on this position or wants to take revenge from the officer for highlighting financial corruption by ex-minister culture Sharmila Farooqui,” sources confided to Daily Times.

The sources added that this is clearly a retaliatory move by the minister in response to Mr Kanasro’s exploiting of the financial embezzlement done by the ruling party’s ex-minister.

The CS’s notification stated that Manzoor Ahmed Kanasro, an officer of Culture & Tourism Department, BS-20, is posted with immediate effect as Director General Culture, Culture and Tourism Department, Sindh, relieving Akhtar Inayat Bhurgari from the additional charge.

The sources further disclosed that Manzoor as DG Culture and Tourism faced removal from the posting since he pointed out and informed former Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah and Chief Secretary Muhammad Siddique Memon about the financial embezzlement of over Rs 8.5 million by former minister Sharmila Farooqui.

The said embezzlement was made on account of holding Horse & Cattle Show and the International Sufi Conference by the minister in her tenure, and the contracts for both the shows were given to a wedding event management company.

The culture, tourism and antiquities department has the mandate to promote art and culture by organizing different cultural programs/events for which the Sindh government allocates/releases funds, and the said funds are required to be utilized strictly in accordance with the SPRRA Rules/Financial Rules.

When contacted, DG Culture Manzoor Kansaro told Daily Times that when he arrived at his office to join in he was not allowed to do so and was asked to meet Secretary Culture and Tourism, Shazia Rizvi.

“When I met the Secretary she told me that I could not join because she had has received orders from Culture Minister Syed Sardar Shah,” said Manzoor, adding that he is being victimized by the minister just because he has always pointed out the mismanagement in the department and have tried his level best to fix them.

Sindh Minister for Culturte and Tourism Syed Sardar Shah and Secretary Culture Shazia Rizvi did not attend calls from Daily Times.